This is a feed from pomesonpoets, which is the name of the original blog. I called it "pomes" after the Pomes Penny Each of James Joyce. The aim of the blog is to capture moments with poets real or imaginary. I will continue to post on "pomes" and transfer the content here for those who may have searched for "poems". Thank you for visiting.

Monday, 26 March 2007

More From Latin Rob

At least this time he's had the sense to email me, so I can paste it straight into the blog.I've edited out the first bit where he berates me for accuately transcribing his spelling mistakes on that napkin (some folks are never satisfied). Suffice to say that he's recalled some more of his day in ancient Rome (from now on, AR).He was walking through the market in AR, when a messenger ran up to him - suspiciously not out of breath, no dust on his sandles - and thrust this into his hand proclaiming, "Ab amico tuo: ecce haec epistulae" or some such doggerel.Sounds to me as if the waiter has slipped some grappa into his tamarindo!

Bright Sun In The Square

I wish I could remember more - the whole letter:some fragments come, no photographic memory.I recall hanging on each Latin word and phrasewith goatskin vino, hunk of bread and cheeseseated at ease in oleander shade,it seemed penned by th'exiled Roman bard,no need translate - my brain was latin-wired.

Can still see my Chaucer notes 'bout Ars Amoris,which crops up in the Canterbuty tales:"A lovers handbook by the poet Ovidius,literary giant of the ancient world."And I, reading this key letter just yesterdaycan now mostly see shadows on a pageof freshly folded parchment, bright sun in the square -I shoulda done that Dale Carnegie course...Two things are even odder: as I write these notesnow in Amato with a rum and cokethat messenger just rode by on a Ducati;second is doubt - the doubt within my mind -not that I was there reading that mint papyrusmy doubt was whether Ovid was the author......sorry protocol at the Amato says my time is up with this computer - to be continued.